Marais: Alcione Suites

Editorial Reviews
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For years, music lovers who knew of the composer Marin Marais thought of him only as a master of the viola da gamba. (This was before the film Tous les matins du monde had the rest of us thinking of him as Gérard Depardieu.) Yet Marais was also an opera composer, who ultimately became conductor at the Paris Opéra, where he had his greatest success in 1706 with Alcione.

French Baroque operas typically have several extended ballet scenes. For this disc, conductor and viola da gamba virtuoso Jordi Savall has assembled the music from Alcione's ballets into four suites of dances. The first two suites are very pleasant (if not very profound), gracious and occasionally lively in the faux-rustic way so beloved of the ancien régime. (The second suite does have one enchanting slow dance--with a prominent solo for viola da gamba, naturally.) The music gets more colorful in the third suite ("Airs for the Priestesses and Wizards"), and the fourth is delightful, with an exciting storm scene and an exquisitely delicate sleep scene for two flutes and continuo. Savall and his period-instrument orchestra, Le Concert des Nations, perform with just the right blend of energy, elegance, and--as far as is possible within this rather dandified milieu--gusto. --Matthew Westphal --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Tracks:

1st Suite: Airs Pour Les Driades & Les Bergers: Overture
1st Suite: Airs Pour Les Driades & Les Bergers: Marche Pour Led Bergers Et Bergeres
1st Suite: Airs Pour Les Driades & Les Bergers: Air Our Les Faunes Et Les Driades
1st Suite: Airs Pour Les Driades & Les Bergers: Menuet Pour Les Bergers Et Bergeres
1st Suite: Airs Pour Les Driades & Les Bergers: f2nd Menuet Pour Les Memes
1st Suite: Airs Pour Les Driades & Les Bergers: Bourree Pour Les Bergers Et Bergeres
1st Suite: Airs Pour Les Driades & Les Bergers: Passepieds I & II Pour Les Memes
2nd Suite: Airs Pour Les Eoliens & Les Eoliennes: Air Pour Les Eoliens Et Eoliennes
2nd Suite: Airs Pour Les Eoliens & Les Eoliennes: Menuet Pour Les Memes
2nd Suite: Airs Pour Les Eoliens & Les Eoliennes: 2nd Air Pour Les Memes
2nd Suite: Airs Pour Les Eoliens & Les Eoliennes: Da Capo: Menuet Pour Les Memes
2nd Suite: Airs Pour Les Eoliens & Les Eoliennes: Sarabande Pour Les Memes
2nd Suite: Airs Pour Les Eoliens & Les Eoliennes: Gigur Pour Les Memes
3rd Suite: Airs Pour Les Pretresses & Les Magiciens: Prekude De l'Acte Second
3rd Suite: Airs Pour Les Pretresses & Les Magiciens: Sarabande Pour Les Pretresses De Junon
3rd Suite: Airs Pour Les Pretresses & Les Magiciens: Prelude Pour Les Pretresses De Junon
3rd Suite: Airs Pour Les Pretresses & Les Magiciens: Gigue Pour Les Memes
3rd Suite: Airs Pour Les Pretresses & Les Magiciens: Airs I & II Pour Les Magiciens
4th Suite: Airs Pour Les Matelots & Les Tritons: Prelude De L'Acte Troisieme
4th Suite: Airs Pour Les Matelots & Les Tritons: Marche Pour Les Matelots
4th Suite: Airs Pour Les Matelots & Les Tritons: 2nd Air Pour Les Memes
4th Suite: Airs Pour Les Matelots & Les Tritons: 3rd Air (Tambourin) Pour Les Memes
4th Suite: Airs Pour Les Matelots & Les Tritons: Symphonie Pour Le Sommeil
4th Suite: Airs Pour Les Matelots & Les Tritons: Tempete
4th Suite: Airs Pour Les Matelots & Les Tritons: Ritournelle
4th Suite: Airs Pour Les Matelots & Les Tritons: Ent'acte Menuet
4th Suite: Airs Pour Les Matelots & Les Tritons: Chaconne Pour Les Tritons

Amazon.com

For years, music lovers who knew of the composer Marin Marais thought of him only as a master of the viola da gamba. (This was before the film Tous les matins du monde had the rest of us thinking of him as Gérard Depardieu.) Yet Marais was also an opera composer, who ultimately became conductor at the Paris Opéra, where he had his greatest success in 1706 with Alcione.

French Baroque operas typically have several extended ballet scenes. For this disc, conductor and viola da gamba virtuoso Jordi Savall has assembled the music from Alcione's ballets into four suites of dances. The first two suites are very pleasant (if not very profound), gracious and occasionally lively in the faux-rustic way so beloved of the ancien régime. (The second suite does have one enchanting slow dance--with a prominent solo for viola da gamba, naturally.) The music gets more colorful in the third suite ("Airs for the Priestesses and Wizards"), and the fourth is delightful, with an exciting storm scene and an exquisitely delicate sleep scene for two flutes and continuo. Savall and his period-instrument orchestra, Le Concert des Nations, perform with just the right blend of energy, elegance, and--as far as is possible within this rather dandified milieu--gusto. --Matthew Westphal

Marais: Alcione Suites
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Marais: Alcione Suites

Manufacturer: Astree
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

All Works by Marais | Marais, Marin | ( M ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Historical Periods | Classical | Styles | Music
General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B0000DETCF
Release Date: 2000-01-01